Deadline: November 24, 2009

The call for proposals have been released for the 2010 Southern Region SARE Producer Grants. Proposals are due by November 15, 2009. Obtain the calls at: http://www.southernsare.uga.edu/callpage.htm Southern SARE producer grants are only open to farmers and/or ranchers or producer organizations. Any farmer/rancher or producer organization in the US Southern Region is eligible to apply for the grants which have maximums of $10,000 for individual producers and $15,000 for producer organizations to be used within two years. The Southern Region is comprised of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Puerto Rico and the U.S.Virgin Islands.

Deadline: November 27, 2009

The Strolling of the Heifers Microloan Fund for New England Farmers will be accepting applications through November 27, 2009 for loans of $10,000 or less. Applicants must live in one of the four counties of Western Massachusetts or in Vermont, and must prequalify. To learn more, visit http://www.thecarrotproject.org/farm_financing

Deadline: December 1, 2009

The Washington-Orange Chapter of Vermont Master Gardeners will award five $200 scholarships to residents of the two-county region to be applied toward fees for the2010 Master Gardener class beginning in February. The Chapter will devote some of the proceeds of our annual plant sale to these grants, which will cover a portion of the total $385 cost of the 2010 class, as our way of thanking the community for their support and making participation in the program more affordable for at least five people. The scholarships will be awarded on the basis of applicants' interest in the program and willingness to commit to participation in MG events and projects. Students need to have convenient internet access. Further information about the Master Gardener program and the course and registration is available from their website, http://www.uvm.edu/mastergardener. For a scholarship application, please submit your request to mastergardenerscvt@gmail.com. Completed applications must be sent by 5:00 p.m. December 1 to mastergardenerscvt@gmail.com, and awards will be announced by December 14. Scholarship recipients will be asked to authorize use of their names in public announcements about the Master Gardener program and its activities.

Deadline: December 8, 2009

The Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program offers Farmer Grants for commercial farmers who have a new production or marketing idea that will likely boost profits, improve stewardship, and strengthen the farm community. To learn more, download an application and instruction booklet, please visit http://nesare.org/get/farmers/. The Northeast Region is comprised of Connecticut Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia and Washington, DC.

Deadline: Rolling until funds are fully disbursed

Thanks to a $99,000 USDA Rural Development Business Enterprise Grant (RBEG), Community Capital is pleased to launch its Management Assistance Program (MAP). Visit http://communitycapitalvt.org/images/Forms/map%20application.pdfBusinesses located in one of the following eight Vermont counties can apply for up to $2,500 and formal or informal groups of businesses can apply for up to $5,000 to purchase consulting services that advance their individual or shared business goals. Eligible counties include: Addison, Caledonia, Essex, Franklin, Grand Isle, Lamoille, Orange and Washington. There are match requirements, so read the application carefully to find out how you can meet those requirements. Applicants can expect a 2-week turn around time on their application provided it is complete when submitted. All decisions are made by staff.